


Hellenders - Episode 1: Hell Hath No Fury

by LaughingThalia



Series: HELLENDERS (Demonhunters) [1]
Category: Artemis: Requiem (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Wonder Woman (Comics), Wonder Woman - All Media Types
Genre: Demon Hunters, Demons, F/F, Going to Hell, Heaven & Hell, Hell, Hell Trauma, Post-Hell, Team Dynamics, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-09 23:38:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17414738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaughingThalia/pseuds/LaughingThalia
Summary: Artemis laughed as she plunged an arrow directly into the creature's eye but she was thrown back at an awkward angle, she couldn't right herself in time and her head smacked against the concrete with a sick thud. She barely had time to scream.She was lying on the ground, eyes glassy but they were dry of tears, warriors didn't fear death, “Did you stop him?” She asked when she felt Diana kneel by her side.“Westopped him. You saved the city, sister.”“I guess I did. Princess… a coin. You’ll put a coin under my tongue? For the ferryman?”“Of course sister. I will tell everyone what you did here today, how you saved them." Artemis closed her eyes, "Can you see it? The fields of Elysian? Can you see the warriors raising their shields to greet you! Sister, look…” Artemis couldn’t hear her anymore. She was gone.It was supposed to be the Fields of Elysian, not the Fields of Punishment. How did Artemis Grace end up in Hell?





	1. Field of Elysian

**Author's Note:**

> Based on stories from DC Comics' Wonder Woman v2 #0, #90-100, Artemis: Requiem #1-6, Wonder Woman v2 # 123-125 and Red Hood and the Outlaws v2 #1-25

**Episode 1**  
 **Scene I**  
 **Act i**  


Artemis swung her sword feverously, she was tired, she’s been fighting so much lately and this last battle had already dragged on too long, it felt like she’d been dragged through half the city, a good chunk of Gateway was probably destroyed right now. Especially since she'd been used as a battering ram to smash through several skyscrapers and high rises.

The beast was huge and it claws were sharp, as she got more tired and more slow it managed to sink it’s claws into her skin, into her Wonder Woman armour, she was bleeding profusely which certainly wasn’t helping things “Diana!” She called out to her Amazonian sister and the _former_ Wonder Woman, “The White Magician said if this thing grows any more powerful we won’t be able to stop it! He’ll destroy Gateway City!”

Diana growled and clenched her leather glove clad fist around her own sword, “I will not allow this to destroy my city. Not as long as I’m alive!” She pulled off her leather jacket to achieve more mobility, underneath she was wearing an all black Kevlar suit, she looked like Catwoman except she’d incorporated Ancient Greek design and 'W' motif into the body armour.

The two women tag teamed, fighting off the beast as best as they could, but it was growing increasingly difficult and it had already been extremely hard. Artemis was knocked back, her sword flying in the opposite direction and she gritted her teeth and called her bow to her and started to shoot at the beast “Little sister, we need a plan! This isn’t working and we can't keep this up much longer!”

Diana was knocked back fortunately closer to Artemis' position and she panted heavily, slowly she rose form the ground and wiped blood from her mouth “I agree, but this creature has no weakness that I can find.”

Artemis looked at Diana and sighed, the Princess was in bad shape, they both were. They couldn’t keep this up. “I've never seen you this injured before. I've never seen you lose except to me.”

Diana scowled, agitated by the reminder of her failures, “Now is not the time to remind me I’m too weak to be Wonder Woman!”

Artemis’ eyes widened "I wasn't-" She huffed "I won the contest out of skill, i'm a skilled fighter Princess, maybe even more so than you but you're stronger." 

“So what? That isn't exactly helping in this situation.”

Before Artemis could answer, the beast attacked once more, now more rested and more powerful when the two Amazons had barely even recovered from their previous fights with the mob Boss Sazia and her super powered lackeys as well as The White Magician before he had become this beast. They were losing and losing hard, the beast had pushed them back, closer and closer to a school and with every blow the school came more and more into focus, even though Artemi's head swam from all the blows she had taken. She could see the kids inside their classrooms, peering out of the window, eyes wide and terrified of the monster coming to get them.

The current and former Wonder Women were both caked in blood and sweat and tears and they were tired. Artemis had lost her sword, she was fighting with her hands and her bow now, using the strength that the Gauntlet of Atlas had given her and the flight that the Sandals of Hermes helped her achieve. She didn’t like Hermes, Hermes had destroyed her home, set her life down a path that the Banas have never and would never recover from but his gifts? She could use them to stop the beast and save the city.

Artemis heaved, as she shot more arrows at the beast “Hippolyta said the Gauntlet of Atlas increased strength ten fold. I have but regular Amazon strength but you, you’re stronger than me. If you wear them… Diana take my Gauntlet!”

Diana knew what she was trying to do but she also knew if Artemis didn’t have the gauntlet she wouldn’t be able to defend herself from him “If I take them you-

“You were never too weak to be Wonder Woman. I was just too arrogant to see it. Take it.” She pulled the gauntlet off and threw herself back into the fight with a war cry worthy of the Bana Amazons. 

Diana pulled it onto her wrist with a bitter sweet grin, “Your arrogance is one of your best features, I won’t have you disparage it.”

 Artemis laughed as she plunged an arrow directly into its eye, she made to grab the small knife holstered to her thigh and plunged it into the beasts tough hide but she was suddenly thrown backwards and off the beast at a very awkward angle. Artemis wasn't able to right herself in time and her head smacked against the concrete with a sick thud. She barely had time to scream, she moved so quickly.

With her strength multiplies Diana was unstoppable, she felled the mighty beast letting out guttural screams of anger as she did so, she let it all out, laid her soul bare. She was angry. And in that moment she wasn't just Diana Prince, she was Diana, warrior Princess of Themyscira.

Artemis lay on the ground, eyes glassy but they were dry of tears “Did you stop him?” She asked when she felt Diana kneel by her side.

 

“We stopped him. You saved the city, sister.”

 

“I guess I did. Princess… a coin. You’ll put the coins on my eyes? For the ferryman?”

 

“Of course sister. I will tell everyone what you did here today, how you saved them. How you gave your life for theirs.” She planted a kiss on her sister's cheek, “Look Artemis, can you see it? The fields of Elysian? Can you see the warriors raising their shields to greet you! Sister, look… you've earned this.” Artemis couldn’t hear her anymore. He eyes closed. She was gone.


	2. 13 Princes of Hell

****Act ii**** **  
**  
Artemis started awake.

She looked around her room, only she wasn't in her room. She remembered coming here, sneaking over but she shouldn't still be here. She leapt out of bed and stole through the palace grounds, returning to her own room. Standing in front of a mirror in a suit was a tall 6' 4 man with tousled blond hair, beautiful blue eyes and an easy smile. He was devilishly handsome, the operative word being 'devilishly'. "Where were you?" He questioned, clearly angry that she hadn't been there.

She settled next to him and allowed him to embrace her  “My sincerest apologies my Lord, I stayed up late last night and did not wish to wake you so I slept somewhere else tonight.”

 Dalkriig Hath nodded, “Don’t let it happen again.” It was a warning.

 

 He didn't like repeating herself so Artemis would do everything in her power to make sure it _didn't_ happen again. “Of course My Lord.”

 

Dalkriig’s room was large, much larger than the one she had just come from. It was large and lathered in gold and expensive jewels and riches. Artemis found it gaudy, and all the glistening gave her nausea but she would never complain out loud, not to anyone. “Get ready for breakfast.” He commanded.

“Yes, my Lord.” Artemis escapes his embrace and retreated to the bathroom to shower and dress herself in fine robes, white with green trims. When she came out Dalkriig was dressed impeccably as well, if she hadn’t have known him, Artemis would have been attracted to him. But she did know him and she knew that behind those baby blue eyes there was a cruelty, behind the pretty smile there were venomous fangs.

The two linked arms and made their way down to the banquet hall. Breakfast wasn’t usually a banquet kind of feast but with the kind of food they ate, it was definitely fitting, plus the long table certainly helped to host all the 13 Princess of Hell and their ‘wives’.

Technically she’s lucky. There are 13 Princess but her husband was number 1, he sat at the head of the table just as he sits at the head of his family and he has a _large_ family. His 12 brothers enter and take their places and they're all just as handsome and tall and blond and they all have equally tall and attractive woman with them. A horn blew and they all ate from the grand feast before them and it’s time like this she is reminded that the 13 princess were not human. They ate like animals, tearing whole legs of the meat and eating it without even chewing. Her own husband chews through the bones and eats them too. 

Artemis doesn’t touch any of it. She never thought she belonged in Hell. She wasn’t perfect but she didn’t deserve this, Diana had said the field of Elysian was waiting for her, not the field of Punishment and she still held out hope. Artemis still had a chance of getting out of here and like Persephone it hinged on her not eating a single bite. She couldn’t age or die in this realm, she would never starve to death here but that didn’t stop her stomach from churning, it didn’t stop the feeling of starvation eating her from the inside out and it didn’t stop her from wanting to eat until she couldn’t eat any more. Hell amplified the deadly sins. Gluttony was arguably the most prevalent one and she felt its pull any time she sat down to eat.

Dalkrigg had laughed at her when he'd first noticed she'd never eaten anything. She had tried to assure him it was to keep her figure but he'd seen through her. _"You think you don't belong here."_ He'd laughed _"You think you're leaving."_ , he'd grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her close to him _"You're not, no one gets out of here."_

She glanced around the hall until her gaze rested on a demon woman standing guard by the door. They linked eyes for a moment before Artemis looks away, glancing at Dalkriig to see if he had caught them, he was much too concerned with his food to notice for which she was eternally glad.

 Eventually the feast ended and they all left, standing in the order of their status. “I will go now to perform my Royal duties, do not disturb me.” Dalkrigg ordered.

"Yes my lord." Artemis bid him a goodbye and then goes to find the hot spring (all springs are hot springs in Hell). She relaxed into the heat.

 Behind her the demon woman from before sits next to her on the edge of the spring, running her hand through the water and letting it run through her fingers “Princess Artemis, how are you this morning?”

“General Belyllioth," She glanced around to make sure they were alone before she continued "you were supposed to wake me up much earlier.”

 “My apologies.”

Artemis hissed “Bely, you _know_ what would happen if we were caught!” 

“High Prince Dalkriig-Hath would kill me. And you will be relegated back the fire.”

“So you understand the severity of this. What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that for once, I wanted to wake up next to my girlfriend!”

Artemis’ face softened and she looked around once more to make sure no one else was around before reaching out of the hot spring and taking Belyllioth’s hand, “You know I care for you greatly. I wish we could have met under different circumstances, that I could wake up with you every morning and that we didn’t have to hide... but we do. This is our reality for all of eternity and I can understand if you can’t take that but we’re both stuck here in Hell so if we stay together it must be in secret.”  
  
She sighed “I know we’re in Hell but this… this is worse than the flames.”

Artemis shook her head, almost angrily, “If you say that then you haven’t experienced them.” She wrenched her hand away, “I lay there, _burning_ , for weeks.”

“I didn’t mean-”

All she could think about was the searing heat of hellfire. “Leave me.”

“My love-”

“I said leave me. That is an _order_ , General.”

Belyllioth was silent for a moment, before her face crinkled up into a reluctant scowl “Yes, princess.” and she left Artemis in the spring by herself.  
****

The heat that had once been relaxing now felt blistering as it reminded her all too much of being engulfed in the flames.


	3. Rest In Pieces

**Scene II** ****  
**Act i**  


Diana didn’t remember co-ordinating with the police and the emergency services when the fight with the White Demon had ended but she must have. She’d done it so many times by now she could do it in her sleep. The EMTs had declared Artemis dead on the scene, they’d wanted to take her in, for what reason Diana couldn’t comprehend. She was an amazon. Amazons deserved to be buried in their homeland and with Bana-Mighdall destroyed, Diana would have to take her to her new forced home of Themyscira. She picked her up and placed her in the invisible jet and set it to fly her home. She wiped the blood from Artemis’ skin, fixed her hair, she left the broken armour. It was a sign of her courageous deeds.

 

When she arrived home the amazons cleared her a path, some of the Banas pushed their way to the front of the crowds, they were sobbing. Artemis had been the best of them, they’d all loved her. The Bana amazon, Patrice, gritted her teeth, she’d always hated the royal family, Artemis’ death would probably cement that. “Mother.” She placed Artemis’ body on a funeral table that someone had brought to her and bowed to her queen and her mother, “Artemis has fallen.” Inside the palace, away from everyone but her mother’s right hand, General Phillipus, there was no need for such formality but Artemis deserved all the pomp that came with an honourable death.

 Hippolyta didn’t look particularly surprised. She also didn’t look as sad as she usually did when a sister fell in battle “It is done.”

Diana raised her head in confusion “What do you mean?  
“The prophecy has come to pass.”

“What prophecy?”

“I had visions… Wonder Woman would die.” She gestured at Artemis “And so she did.”

Diana’s eyes widened and she sprung to her feet, furious “You set this up! You called a new Contest so that someone else would win, you would sacrifice Artemis for me?”

 “I did. And I would again.”

“How could you!? She is an _Amazon_ mother, like us.”

 

 “SHE IS _NOTHING_ LIKE US! _We_ are Amazons of Themyscira, blessed by Zeus and the goddesses of Greece. Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is a far inferior breed of Amazon whose only talent was murder and violence. They are a gang of honourless mercenaries.”

 

“You call them mercenaries, yet Artemis was the one who gave her life to save a world she hated and it is you who had _her killed_!”  


“What will you do daughter? Will you tell the other sub par Amazons of my sins? That would start a riot, a civil war. Would you bring war to our peaceful paradise?”  
  
“If a war was started it would not be because of me!”

 “And yet you can stop it before it even begins. That’s what you do out there, all day when you’re not here with your people. You stop wars, bring peace.” She spat. 

Diana scowled, her mother was right, if she revealed this the Banas would be up in arms. They still hadn’t forgiven the Themyscirans for their betrayal of Antiope, for their banishment, Artemis was the best of them, they all loved her, they'd all miss her. “Fine. I will keep your _dirty_ secret,” she hissed “And I will bury Artemis in the field of heroes.”  
  
“You will do nothing of the sort. No Bana will be buried on Themyscira. They wanted to live separately well they can die separately too.”

“But mother, this is their _home_ now-” 

“I will not allow it! Take her somewhere else. Take her and bury her in the ground so I never have to look at her ever again.”

“So you’re just going to bury your guilt? Hide it like a child would?”

 “Take her away, Diana.”

 Diana stormed from the palace grounds, behind her one of her sisters Mala trails, “Diana what happened in there?”

 “Yes Diana,” Patrice of Bana-Mighdall scowled “What did happen?”

Diana looked around, she was surrounded by the Banas, Braka, Lartys, Falizia, even Trigona who had lost her leg to the demons had made her way up to Main Land Themyscira to question her. Trigona had made Artemis’ weapons, she spent a lot of time with Artemis talking shop in the armoury and the forge. “I’m sorry.” The Banas usually would have retorted with a biting comment about the princess but there was something in her eyes that stopped them. She looked angrier than they’d ever seen her. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save her, that I failed her in life. And I’m even more sorry I have to fail her in death too.”

“What do you mean?” Laris asked, confused.

“The queen has decreed… she has decreed that no Bana be buried on Themyscira.”

 They all gasped. Patrice exclaimed “But Amazons must be buried at home! Can we not bury her in New Bana?”

“It is the Queen’s law, not my own. I came here, I brought her here to bury her in the Field of Heroes. You know her better than I, with this loss of an option… where would she life to be buried?” There was silence. Artemis was never a big fan of man’s world. Bana-Mighdall had been destroyed. Themyscira was the only place for her body. Diana sighed, “I suspected this.”

  
  


She was in a graveyard. It was raining, of course it was raining. Diana didn’t use an umbrella, her long black hair stuck to her skin in large damp clumps. The priest blessed the body and Diana placed a rose on her the dirt covering her coffin. Diana was the only one there. The League had been busy, they couldn’t join her in mourning her sister, in mourning a fellow hero. Diana tried to pretend it really was because they were busy and not because none of them had ever liked Artemis.

 

 **_‘Here lies Artemis Grace_ ** ****_  
_ **_Beloved sister_ ** ****_  
_ **_The Wonder Woman_ ** **_  
_ ** ****_Rest in peace’_


	4. Magic League

**Act ii** ****  
  
**IN THE WATCHTOWER** ****  


“I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” Bruce was the only one with the decency to pretend.

 Diana ignored the apology, knowing full well it wasn’t sincere, “My mother sacrificed her for me. I'm supposed to be a paragon of Truth and yet I sit here and keep her dirty secret.”

Bruce pulled off his cowl to look her in the eye, "You can’t risk another Civil War. Too many Amazons have died already.

“I know, I just feel like I’ve been played. I would have died for Artemis.”

"From what you've told me, she would have died for you. Don't take that away from her."

 

Constantine breezed into the room, hands in pockets, a cigarette in his mouth, “Princess, Batsy, I’ve been lookin’ for you two.”

“John.” Diana said courteously as she reached forward and plucked the cigarette from his mouth and quickly put it out on the hard metal of her uniform belt.

“Constantine,” Bruce started, quirking a small smile at Diana's antics “you don’t come to the Watchtower often. I thought you and Zatanna were doing the whole Magic League thing.”

“We are. It’s going great by the way. But we all felt something shift in the temporal magic realm, we thought you’d want to know. Someone is in hell who’s not supposed to be and we believe it’s an Amazon.”

“An Amazon? Who!?” Diana reacted on instinct, her heart basically leapt into her throat.

“I’m a magician, not psychic. How the bloody hell should I know?”

  
“The only Amazon who has died recently does not deserve the Inferno.” Diana swallowed thickly, Artemis couldn’t be in Hell… could she be?

Constantine shrugged “Like I said, she’s not supposed to be there, that’s why we sensed it.”

Diana gripped her lasso tightly “I have to go find her! I have to save her!”

Bruce frowned “Bring someone back from the dead? Diana you can’t-”

A cold fury over took the Amazon, “She does not belong in Hell! She did good work as Wonder Woman, even if we were all too pig headed to see it! She saved Gateway, the city would be destroyed if not for her sacrifice.”

“So were supposed to bring back every hero who dies? Is that what you’re saying?”  
  
“It’s my fault she’s dead! And I’ve already failed her twice. I can’t fail her a third time. John you must help me.”  
  
“I don’t have to do anything, love. As a general rule, I try not to mess with Hell. I've pissed off too many demons.”

“Fine, I will ask Zatanna-”

Constantine scoffed “Zatanna? Good luck getting her to mess around with death. She’s a light magician, it’s against her code.”

“You two aren’t the only Magicians in the world.”  
  
“No, but we’re the only ones you trust. You’re going to have to find another way.”  
  
“John.” She said softly “There is a little girl in hell because of something you did and you have been unable to help her and it tears you apart every day. My _sister_ is in hell because of me, please, don’t let it tear me apart too. Let me save her.  
  
Constantine looked at her angrily “Don’t do that, don’t use her like that. I’ll get you into hell but you have to find your own way out.”

“Thank you.”

“Trust me love, once you get there you won’t be thanking me.”

 “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Going to Hell?” Bruce asked, concerned.

“You believe in Hell?”

“There are other dimensions, planes of existence. I’ve met gods and aliens, it would be foolish to rule out Hell.”

“Of course.”

 

“You didn’t answer my question.”

 

“I know.”


	5. Forgiveness.

**Act iii**  
  
Artemis was dressed now in a shorter dress, that had a place for a holstered weapon and sandals laced up to her knees when she sought out Belyllioth. She finds her at her guard post over the palace “Bely, I’m sorry. I lost my temper and I shouldn’t have and then I pulled the Princess card and that was inexcusable.”

 

“I know you’re sorry. You were right about not waking you. I should have, we can’t risk being caught, just for a few more hours by your side.”

Artemis sighed and hugged her close “I know I said this was our world for all eternity but one day we won’t have to hide our love. I promise you.”

 

“Don’t promise me something you can’t follow through with.” Belyllioth replied sadly.

 

“I never break an oath.” Artemis held her face and kissed her “On day, I swear to you Belyllioth.”

  
“And I trust you with my life Artemis Grace. I love you.”

 

“I love you too.”   
****


	6. Wonder Women

**Scene III** **  
** **Act i**   
  
Constantine drew the pentagram in blood, Diana didn’t ask blood of what. “Now remember, your whole body will be going to Hell which means if you die there, you’re just dead.” He started chanting in Latin and then he switched to a language even older than that, Diana barely recognised it. “You ready, love?”

 

“I am.”

 

“Don’t eat anything.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Okay here we go. Step into the doorway.”

 

Diana was armed with her sword, shield and lasso and she was back in her Wonder Woman outfit, for a while she’d been unsure but the world needed a Wonder Woman and so she had taken the mantle back from her fallen sister. She stepped through the gateway and into Hell. She could already feel the heat.

 

She came across a guard pretty quickly, she looked vigilante, skilful. Diana would have to be quick to get the drop on this demon guard. The Demon took one deep breath and seemed to sense her presence in the Underworld “Intruder!” She goes to raise the alarm, immediately Diana goes to stop her, catching her arm in her lasso. They struggle, the demon puts up a fight.

 

“What is you name look out.”

 

“General Belyllioth.” She spat.

 

“I apologize for this in advance General.” Diana apologised before she sent a bruising punch across her face, successfully knocking her out cold.

 

Diana was familiar with the layout of palaces, she’d grown up in one, so it was easy to find the throne room, of course she hadn’t been counting on the horde of demons and guards who pinned her down and brought her before the biggest of 13 thrones. “Unhand me immediately! I am Princess Diana of Themyscira and I demand to be freed!”

 

The man in the throne laughed “A princess, you say? We already have a princess around here.” The prince gestured to something behind his throne and a woman stepped out of the shadows, it was Artemis!

 

“My Lord, please have mercy on her, she knows not who she speaks to.” She got to her knees and placed her forehead on the ground and Diana was astounded, Artemis of Bana-Mighdall bowed to no man. “Oh merciful and powerful scion of evil, your worthless vessel presents to you her sister, I beg you to allow her to grovel in the wonder of your presence. We are your slaves.”

 

Dalkriig thought for a moment, eyeing up the earth Princess “Very well, Artemis. I will allow her to live. _You_ are now her master, just as I am yours.”

  
“Thank you My Lord.” She rose to her feet and started leading  Diana out of the throne room.

 

“Oh and Artemis, find the General who allowed this intruder into my palace. I believe it was Belyllioth. Giver her a punishment befitting her incompetence.”  
  
Artemis swallowed, of course Diana would cause her love to be tortured “Yes my Lord.” She took Diana away from prying eyes, “What are you doing here?”

 

“Who was that?”

 

“Dalkriig-Hath, one of the 13 princess of Hell, the master of this domain and… my husband.”

 

“HUSBAND?!”

 

“The ceremony was brief but effective. And necessary for me to survive here. But that guard you attacked, General Belyllioth, that was who I lo… she meant a great deal to me and now she will die. Because of you.”

 

“Then let’s go save her.”

 

“She can’t leave here without his permission Diana. If we free her, then what. He controls everything in this domain.”

 

“Sister, I expected this place to suck the hope out of you but I never thought it would suck the fight out of you too. Bowing so reverently to that man, allowing your friend to die?”

 

“What did you expect Diana, this is Hell.”

 

“You shouldn't _be_ in Hell. Your presence here is causing ripples that was felt by the magicians on Earth that’s how I knew you were here.”

 

“I’m not supposed to be here? Then why am I?”

 

“I’m not sure.”

 

“Did you put the coin under my tongue?”

 

“Of course, I performed all your burial rites , I asked Trigona how to do it.”

 

“And you buried me in my homeland?”

 

“I- well no… not exactly. My mother wouldn’t allow me to bury you in Themyscira.”

 

“So I’m not buried with my fallen Amazon sisters?”

 

“No.”

 

“So where am I? So where did you bury me?”

 

“Gateway City. A cemetery in Gateway City.”

 

“A cemetery. Holy ground? Blessed by _God_? Diana you fool! I worship the Egyptian gods and you’ve buried me in Christian soil! That’s why I’m here because in death I’ve turned my back on the gods! You did this to me! You and your wretched mother!”

 

She had no idea how much her mother had had to do with her death and still Hippolyta had found a way to make her crimes worse “I’m so sorry Artemis, but now I know why I can make this right. I’ll disobey my mother and bury you on Themyscira, like I should have.”

 

“And leave here? On earth I’m nothing more than a second rate Amazon and a second rate Wonder Woman.” In the back of her mind, Artemis wondered if it was her greed talking. Hell amplified the deadly sins ‘’Here I’m a princess.”

 

“Here you’re a _slave_. And I’m your slave. This isn’t right Artemis.”

 

“Why? Because for once in your life you’re subservient? And to a Bana Amazon no less, I’m sure that really boils your blood.”

 

“Artemis you know me and my mother don’t share our views on the Banas! If you would just listen to me-”

 

She was cut off by a horrible scream of pain that seemed to have carried through the siffling air “MERCY! PLEASE MERCY!”

 

They both recognised the voice, it was Belyllioth. “We have to save her.” Diana announced, determined.

 

“There is no saving her. Or me. Diana, just go home before you make everything worse.”

 

“You may have lost hope, bu I have not. I will put an end to this barbaric torture.” She raced off towards the screaming, her sword and shield had been confiscated upon her arrival but no one had thought to take her lasso. The lasso was all she needed.

  
Artemis scowled and mumbled “Damn it Diana.” before racing back to her room to get her own weapons, her bow didn’t come to her now she was dead, she supposed it had moved on from her but that didn’t means he had given up archery. She had a beautiful white ivory bow, it had been a gift from her _husband_. By the time Artemis arrived on the scene, Diana was being overrun. On Earth her lasso may be more than enough, but against a demon army, she was fighting a losing battle. Artemis shot a few demons as she raced to Diana’s defence and when she was in proximity she pulled out two huge swords and started swinging.

 

“That’s enough!” Diana yelled at the torturer “ you’re killing here!” Diana kicked him away from his prisoner and then  picked up the whip that had been used to whip Belyllioth with just moments prior, wrapped it around one guard’s angle and spun him around, knocking over at least 13 demons before flinging him into a wall with a screech.

  
Even with the two of them they were quickly being over run and then “Lieutenant Draga?” Artemis asked when she saw a legion of  demons fighting alongside her.

 

“She’s our General, we fight for her, not the Prince.”

 

Artemis nodded solemnly in solidarity with Belyllioth’s squad as the staged their rebellion.

 

Just then Diana was flung across the grounds, her head hit the ground with a sick thud and Artemis winced, she knew how that felt, “Sister?!”

 

Belyllioth who was close to Diana checked her over quickly, Artemis, you must take her and run.”

“I can’t leave! I can’t leave you!”

 

“You know I can’t leave here and if you stay The Prince will kill you.”

 

“He’ll kill you too.”

 

“I’ll be fine. I have allies and Dalkriig can’t sense us like her can you and your sister.”

 

Draga helped Artemis up “We’ll protect her.”

 

Artemis closed her eyes, she didn’t want to leave but Bely was right, she opened them and stared at the General before her “I’ll keep my promise to you.”

 

“I know you will, you never break oaths. Now go!”

 

Artemis slung Diana over her shoulder and runs, she holds her bow in one hand and places the string between her teeth and she shoots the stray demons following her with one hand, clinging to Diana with the other. Draga and the still injured Belyllioth are taking out swaths of enemy combatants but they’re outnumbered.

 

The Hell Princess quickly realises she doesn’t know where she’s going, if she had known how to leave this place she would have done it long ago and yet clearly there was a way out otherwise Diana wouldn’t have followed her in here. Too bad she was too unconscious to ask. Artemis soon found herself fighting against gravity, running up hill until she hit a wall of dirt. Only it wasn’t really a war and more of a ceiling so Artemis did the only thing she could do, she started digging. Upward in Hell must mean out, right?

 

He hand bursts through the other side and she feels a cold breeze on her fingers, she hadn’t felt a cold breeze since she’d died. Hell was always so warm. She made a hole big enough to squeeze through and pull Diana through with her and when she looked around she recognised the sky line. She was in Gateway. This is where it all ended, it seemed fitting that this was where it would restart.

 

She looked around and saw her own grave. It had a cross on it, she scoffed in disgust, no wonder she’d ended up in Hell. God would never accept her and her own gods probably thought she had abandoned them. She propped Diana against a large grave stone, “Sister, can you hear me?” She starts to check her, make sure she’s okay when she hears a sound in the distance. Artemis turns her head in the direction of the sound and waits. Several men and one woman, she can tell by the heaviness of their footprints. They have guns, she can practically smell the lead in the bullets.

 

She draws her bow and waits to fight, she’ll let them come to her.  A butch man lunges at her with a snarl. Artemis wasn’t afraid of an all out brawl.


End file.
